


Let It Snow

by ladydeathfaerie



Series: A Midwinter Night's Dream [8]
Category: Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Feelstide 2015, Language, M/M, Prompt Fic, other characters appear in this story but they do not have speaking parts, several implied relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-05 23:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5393819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladydeathfaerie/pseuds/ladydeathfaerie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Winter storm Astro hits New York City and the Avengers spend the days before Christmas helping the citizens of the city stay safe and warm. All Clint wants is to go home and spend Christmas with Phil. </p>
<p>
  <i>"How much longer is this shit going to last?" Clint asked, mostly to himself. He was cold and tired. He was hungry. He wanted a shower, a hot meal, and then bed. </i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let It Snow

**Author's Note:**

> written for Feelstide. the prompt was "Snowstorm Astro hits NYC just in time for Christmas"

"How much longer is this shit going to last?" Clint asked, mostly to himself. He was cold and tired. He was hungry. He wanted a shower, a hot meal, and then bed. Not necessarily in that order. He, the rest of the Avengers, and even members of S.H.I.E.L.D. had spent the better part of the past week dealing with one of the biggest snow storms of the year. First by prepping the city before the main event, then by doing what they could as the snow got too deep and too heavy for people to get out and do for themselves. The first day or two hadn't been bad. But the last three had been particularly difficult. 

_"The National Weather Service has recently downgraded Astro's severity and is hopeful that the storm will begin moving out of the area in time for Christmas festivities, Agent Barton,"_ Stark's AI told him, voice soothing and steady in his ear. 

"Thanks, Jarvis." He hadn't expected an answer, but he'd discovered over the past week that Jarvis answered any question he heard. Normally Stark was the only one who made use of Jarvis. But with the weather growing increasingly horrible by the minute, the billionaire inventor had come up with tech that would help monitor vitals and keep everyone safe. Jarvis was the common tie, more or less peeking in on everyone to ensure that their core temperature didn't drop too low and to basically help keep them all safe. 

For the moment, he was okay. The others were okay. They were working as a team, covering one section of the city. He knew that the agents Fury had dispatched to help the Avengers were working in teams, too, each team designated their own part of the city where they attempted to clear roads, deliver food and drink to the people who were snowed in, and to see that anyone who needed medical help got it. Each team had a centralized location that served as their headquarters, and it was there that they slept and ate and showered. Each location had two teams, so that there was always someone out on the street in the event something bad happened or conditions worsened.

Clint hoped that Jarvis was right and that the National Weather Service was right and that the storm was going to start abating soon. He hadn't slept in his own bed in over a week. He hadn't seen Phil in longer. He'd been looking forward to going home because he'd wanted nothing more than to fall into bed with Phil and spend a month there. But then Astro had come along. Goddamn storm.

There were several feet of snow on the ground. Not inches. Feet. And all of that had happened in just the past few days. The Big Apple generally only got a couple of feet for an entire season. They'd already surpassed that total and would likely have more before Astro completely blew over. There'd been warning, of course, meteorologists on all the local and national broadcasts saying more than a week before the first bands of light snow had hit that this storm was going to be huge. And each report following had not only reaffirmed that assertation, but expanded upon it until it was believed that Astro would be the biggest winter storm to hit the city in a very long time.

It had been Fury's idea for both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers to aid in preparations with the city's emergency people. And most residents, when warned of the impending storm, had been quick to act by stocking up on the basics. Some people had grumbled, of course, saying that the weather people were overreacting. But their numbers had been few. And they'd been silenced quickly enough when the lighter flurries had given way to heavier, thicker flakes. When that had started, the grumbling had stopped and people had started trying to prepare in earnest. 

By the time the storm had fully hit, the entire city had been shut down and only emergency personnel were seen on the streets. Most people were hidden away behind closed doors, safe inside their homes and, in some cases, businesses. Both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Stark Industries, under Pepper Pott's leadership, had offered up warm places for the city's homeless to ride out the storm. There had been plenty of calls over the comm unit in the past few days requesting a team to go dig one or more people out of the snow. There had been a few deaths so far, but not as many as there could have been. Having emergency response teams out on the streets had obviously helped keep the body count down. Only time would tell if it got any higher. 

Most of what he, the rest of the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the first responders were doing now was keeping the streets cleared, delivering food and water to those who needed it, making an effort to clear the snow off of roofs, and keeping looters in check. There had been a few instances of people trying to loot since pretty much the entire city was shut down. All of them were sitting the rest of the storm out in a jail cell somewhere in the city. 

Clint couldn't remember seeing a winter storm like this. Certainly not in New York City. If there hadn't been a coordinated effort between the city's government, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hierarchy, and the Avengers, things would have been a lot worse for the citizens than they were. New York was in line to have the whitest Christmas on record if Astro dumped as much snow on the city as the forecasters were saying it would. He shuddered to think what might happen to the residents of the city if no one had taken the warnings seriously. 

But there were benefits to the storm. It was quiet. This was the quietest he'd ever known the city to be. And not that eerie silence that came from some kind of horrific tragedy. No, this was the soft, gentle quiet that came in the middle of winter, when the snow drifted down lazily and the world was resting. Waiting. It was that perfect quiet that allowed you to hear the soft crunch of fresh snow underfoot. The kind of quiet that was perfect for sharing with someone you loved. 

His mind naturally turned to Phil. His fingers ached for the feel of Phil's skin under them. Ached with the need to trace and relearn every inch of the man's body. He wanted to spend hours holed up in their rooms, just the two of them and their bed and a plentiful supply of condoms and lube. At the same time, he wanted to spend time with Phil outside of their bedroom. Outside of the tower, bundled up against the cold so that they could enjoy the snow together. 

He could easily picture the two of them wandering through the park, the crunch of snow the only sound to accompany them as they followed a path aimlessly. Occasions like that didn't require words. Just knowing glances and not quite accidental touches. Or perhaps a snowball fight. One that Phil instigated, even though he knew he'd never escape unscathed. Similar to that occasion Tony had taken them all on vacation to Aspen. He was at ease with Phil, relaxed and at peace. It was a heady feeling and he never could get enough of it. 

He wondered where Phil was. No doubt working with other agents in some other part of the city. Probably entertaining himself by telling stories about his and Clint's sex life to Jasper during their down time. Very little rattled Sitwell's calm and cool exterior. They'd found out entirely by accident that the idea Phil was getting it on with, well, anyone was enough to make Sitwell go green. Phil took every opportunity he could to make Jasper's life a living hell. 

The image of the stoic agent begging Phil to stop put a smile on Clint's face. It was so easy to rattle Jasper with the idea of his colleague engaging in dirty, kinky acts. It also reminded Clint that he should pick up a bottle of something expensive and alcoholic to give to Jasper. As a way to apologize. Phil sometimes didn't know how to stop.

" _Clint. We've got a call._ " Natasha's voice crackled to life over the comm, pulling Clint out of his thoughts. He really hoped this was the last call for the day. And the week. And the month. And the rest of the year. He was frozen to the bone, despite the fact he was wearing the latest and best in winter gear. He missed his bed and he missed the fact that his bed was Coulson's bed, too. It felt like forever since he'd gotten to wrap himself around his husband and just sink into the other man's embrace. " _Family stuck in their house is in need of assistance. Thor's on his way to pick you up._ " 

Even as she said it, Clint could see the Asgardian getting closer. He was a dark speck against the snow as he came in from above. Clint made sure he had all of his gear before Thor could pick him up and carry him off to their destination. Man, he hoped this was the last call.

**~*~**

As it happened, the family stuck in their home and in need of assistance was the last call they had to take. Fewer calls were coming in and the city felt that it could handle the situation on its own. Clint knew that Fury had told the mayor to call S.H.I.E.L.D. if they were needed again, then he'd begun the slow process of calling his people in. Each team had to wait to be relieved by the members of the fire department or the police before they could leave their posts. Plows were out on the roads, trying to clear some of the heavy snow away so that other city vehicles could move about freely.

By the time Clint and the others had finished clearing snow from the roof and away from the doors, the amount of white stuff coming down had already lightened up. Reports from local and national meteorologists all said that they'd made it through the worst of the storm. Any snow that fell now was likely to be light, with only minor accumulation. It was something to be thankful for after the days of heavy snow, the cold, and the exhaustion. 

The city was quiet, everything blanketed heavily in glittering white. The sun had gone down hours ago, street lamps haloing the frozen precipitation that had fallen. Fat flakes still drifted lazily down out of the darkness, but they came at a much slower pace. That was a good thing. There was no official word how much snow Astro had dumped on the city, but estimates ranged between five and ten feet. Possibly even more. He could believe it. There were hills of white pilled up everywhere, indicating where things like fire hydrants and mailboxes were on the sidewalks. That didn't include the snow that had accumulated on top of buildings and cars and awnings. There was so much of the white stuff that it really was a winter wonderland. It would be a few days before the city was fully dug out.

After all of the Avengers had gathered at their staging center to collect their things, the group of them were on their way back home. Avenger Tower stood tall and silent in the chill night air. Most of the floors were dark, everyone sent home long before the storm hit the city. Some of the lower levels had been given over to help shelter the homeless and the lights pouring out of them were muted by shades and blinds. But the upper levels, where all of the private floors were located, were bright with light, letting Clint know that someone was home. Probably Pepper. He was pretty sure she'd been coordinating everything with Fury and Tony and the mayor from the communal living room. She was good at coordinating and managing and running things. Tony had chosen well when he'd put her in charge of his company. 

The entrance was blocked with piles of the white stuff. Before Tony could say a word about it, Jarvis' voice filled the comm unit still nestled in Clint's ear. " _I've had the landing pad cleared in preparation of your return, sir._ "

"Thanks, Jarvis." Stark's voice sounded faintly metallic through the faceplate of the Iron Man suit. He turned to look at Thor. "You take two and I'll take two?"

"A good plan," Thor nodded. A moment or two passed, during which time it seemed that they just kind of stared at one another, then Tony took Steve and Bruce while Thor took hold of Natasha and Clint. Only a few seconds later, they were all standing on the landing pad up near the top of the tower. Pepper was waiting at the door, a smile on her face and a glass in her hand. 

The six of them stepped into the welcoming heat of the tower to find that it was gayly lit by twinkling Christmas lights and alive with the seasonal scent of a fresh pine tree. A fire was burning in the hearth and mellow Christmas music was playing softly through hidden speakers. Pepper smiled at them all, then tugged Tony into her arms and hugged him. She repeated the process with the rest of them, her smile getting wider as she got closer to the end of the line. 

"It looks amazing in here, Pepper," Tony commented. 

And it did. There hadn't been time to do much decorating before Astro had closed in on them. Before trying to keep the city from disappearing under a mountain of snow, Clint and Natasha had been out of the country. Bruce had been in Washington D.C., consulting on some science thing in which he was a top expert. Thor had been in Asia with Jane, assisting her in her continuing work. And Tony had been doing some press for Stark Industries with Pepper. They'd planned on putting Christmas together when they were all in one place again. But the storm had had other ideas. 

Pepper gave him a smile before stepping back so that they could all move deeper into the room. "I'd like to take credit for it all. But I can't."

"No?" Tony gave her a look. Clint had seen it many times before. It was the look Tony ended up wearing when he didn't believe what he was being told. 

"No. I had nothing to do with the decorating. Well. I helped decorate, but I'm not the party responsible for setting Christmas up for all of you. That honor belongs to some one else." 

"Who?" 

"That would be me, Mr. Stark." Fury's voice filled the room a moment before he joined them. He was dressed as casually as Clint had ever seen him. His sweater was grey and cashmere, his jeans black and well worn. Sitwell was a few steps behind him, hands curled around a tray loaded with ceramic mugs. Steam rose from them, indicating Jasper was carrying something warm. Clint was hoping it was hot chocolate. He could drink down two or three mugs of the stuff in order to defrost his toes. "You've all been so busy trying to clean up the city, I felt it was only fair to get Christmas ready for you here. I brought a few friends to help me." 

Maria and Rhodey joined them next. They each had their own mugs. One had a relish tray and the other had a big bowl of popcorn Happy followed them, a tray of cheese, meat, and crackers balanced on one hand, a bowl of mixed nuts in the other. Jane carried a veggie tray and a bowl of dip. Sam had thoughtfully grabbed a bag of mini marshmallows for the hot chocolate. Phil brought up the rear. He had hot queso dip and a bowl of tortilla chips. Clint smiled to see him, then went to work at shucking all of his winter clothes. The rest of the team followed suit.

**~*~**

It was getting late. The fire had burned down to almost nothing, embers glowing on the floor of the hearth. The room was filled with the scent of wood smoke and fresh pine. The tree nearly dominated the room, the bottom branches spreading to reach a diameter of at least six feet around. The tip of the tree was some twelve feet above their heads, topped with a beautiful and ethereal angel. Her wings were crafted of real feathers. Multi-colored lights twinkled away merrily from within the branches and reflected off shiny glass and glitter ornaments, metallic tinsel garlands, and crystal icicles that dripped from the tree's tips. Presents in shiny paper, topped with ribbons and bows, were piled beneath it, ready to be opened when the sun rose on Christmas day in the morning.

The rest of the room had been decorated with pine bough garlands and bright lights. Stockings hung before the fireplace, each one emblazoned with one of their names. The mantel had been decorated with potted poinsettias. The garland there had shiny ornaments in it, along with festive seasonal flowers and a line of bubble lights that were hypnotizing to look at. The room was filled with color and laughter and love and friendship. It was welcoming and cosy. It was home.

They'd long ago broken off into groups. Tony and Bruce were arguing the science of some theory or another, Tony's voice carrying around the room while Bruce was quieter. Steve and Sam were playing pool, telling war stories that they'd no doubt told each other more than once before. Jasper and Thor were bent over a chessboard. Maria, Natasha, Pepper, and Jane were very intent on a game of poker that Clint was sure involved shoe and clothing shopping as bets. Nick stood at the windows. Snow was still falling without any hurry beyond the glass. Clint didn't know if he was staring at the city or watching the snow. He was sure that Nick was mildly entertained by Happy, who was busy telling him about some story from Tony's misbegotten bachelorhood. 

Phil was sitting on the couch next to Clint, their shoulders touching just enough to tell Clint that his husband was relaxed and at ease. He turned to look at Phil and found the other man watching him quietly. Clint offered him a smile. "Missed you," he told his husband and leaned into him. 

"Missed you, too, Clint." 

"I've spent the entire past week dreaming of curling up in bed with you again."

"Well, you'll be able to do that all you want in the coming week," Phil assured him. 

Clint shifted so he could look Phil in the face. "I will? What does that mean?" 

"It means Nick gave me the next week off. Right up until the fourth."

A slow smile spread across Clint's face. "So you're telling me that not only did Nick decorate for Christmas, but he brought presents?" 

"That's what I'm saying. Maybe I'll start calling him Santa Boss from now on." 

"You don't want to know what I'll do to you if you do, Coulson," Nick replied from across the room. It brought laughter from Clint. Phil only smiled. "Just enjoy your damn vacation." 

"Yes, sir," Phil replied. He shifted his all of his attention back to Clint. "Looks like I'm yours." 

"Merry Christmas to me," Clint replied. He motioned toward the elevator with his head. "Shall we retire so that I can open my Christmas present?" 

"Don't need to hear it, Barton!" Tony called from across the room. His response made Phil grin. 

He rose to his feet and offered one hand to Clint. There was a knowing look in his eyes and a smirk on his face. Clint put his hand in Phil's and let the other man tug him to his feet. "Let's go back to our rooms and you can do all the unwrapping you like." 

"Ew!" Tony made gagging noises. There was nothing Phil liked better than ribbing Stark about their relationship.

Clint's smile got wider. "Merry, merry Christmas to me."


End file.
